FRANKLIN, Tenn. — The Williamson County Agricultural Expo, site of the 50th Tennessee state wrestling tournament, is an oval, a pair of horseshoes joined at the ends.
On one end was the expected and on the other the unexpected.
On the east half of the building, Bradley Central was running away with the Division I tournament. On the western end, it was Baylor and McCallie within a point of a dead heat for the Division II tournament.
McCallie has six in the finals and eight in the consolations with guarantees of medals. Baylor has seven finalists and six in the consolation medal rounds.
The Red Raiders lead by a point over McCallie — 220-219 — with state duals runner-up Christian Brothers in third with 212.5 and state duals champion Father Ryan fourth with 185. No other team was within striking distance.
McCallie got out to an early lead thanks to just three first-round byes and bonus points in all but a couple of their first-round matches.
“There was one semifinal we lost that I felt we should have — or could have — won,” McCallie coach Mike Newman said. “But to have 14 in the medals — I think this is the first time a McCallie team has done that.”
It wasn’t like he was even thinking about throwing in the towel.
“We have to have another round in the morning like we had this morning and then follow through Saturday night,” he said. “It is a tight team race.”
Baylor scrambled back without head coach Jim Morgan but with bonus points in subsequent rounds and an extra championship finalist.
Morgan, who didn’t eat Thursday or today, was sent to the hospital late Friday by Dr. Keith Helton, father of Baylor 215-pounder David Helton, for an IV after he became lightheaded.
“I’m just now talking with (assistant coach) Schaack (Van Deusen), but a lot of good things need to happen for us in the consolations,” Morgan said.
He wasn’t surprised that his team was up by a point, but said he wouldn’t have been surprised if the Red Raiders had been in the top four but out of the lead.
“I have said all along that all four teams — Father Ryan, Christian Brothers, McCallie and Baylor — were good,” he said.
Bradley Central, meanwhile, easily outdistanced the field with Cleveland the only team the Bears hadn’t doubled up.
Bradley had 187 points to 118.5 for Cleveland, 93 for third-place Science Hill, 85 for fourth-place Soddy-Daisy and 75 for fifth-place Cookeville.
“Is it over? Mathematically?” Logsdon asked. “I don’t know. I haven’t really looked.”
When asked when the race for No. 1 ended, Science Hill coach Jeff Price said, “Probably three or four months ago.
“Seriously, when we looked to see who we were chasing and who was chasing up, we didn’t even make up a sheet on Bradley Central. I think we can hold on and finish in the top four.”
Thursday, Bradley won 24 of 27 matches and began constructing a big lead, which the Bears added Friday night be securing five finals berths. Yet they wrestled better Friday than the night before.
“Coach was hot Thursday night. He wasn’t happy with the way we wrestled,” said Bears 152-pound finalist Chris Aguilar.
“At the risk of sounding unappreciative, I wasn’t happy,” Logsdon admitted. “I don’t judge the kids on wins or losses but on their intensity and character. When I don’t get that — win or lose — they’re going to hear about it.”
Cleveland has three finalists and Soddy-Daisy, Brentwood, Mount Juliet, Greenback and Cookeville two apiece. Hixson has a finalist in 160-pound Nick Alemany, a third-place finisher in last week’s Region 4 tournament.